May 2024 observance calendar roundup

What days should you keep in mind for your government social media content calendar? Here’s a helpful roundup of some of the observed days happening in May 2024 you might want to consider building content for — or be mindful of — for your government social media accounts.

We put together a free, downloadable resource of observed days for all of 2024! Download our 2024 Observance Calendar Roundup to easily reference observances and fill in goals, accomplishments and ideas throughout the year. 

Please keep in mind that this is not meant to be a full list of observances and we encourage you to check with your state/county for any area-specific days or with your peers in our GSM Facebook Community Group or free GSM network. Other helpful resources for additional observances include List of National Days, National Today, Ready.Gov’s Preparedness Calendar, NWS Awareness and Preparedness Calendar, or the United Nations List of International Days and Weeks.

Observed in the month of May

• ALS Awareness Month
• American Wetlands Month
• Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Be Kind to Animals Month
• Better Hearing and Speech Month
• Building Safety Month
• Chip Your Pet Month
• Clean Air Month
• Family Wellness Month
• Garden for Wildlife Month
• Global Youth Traffic Safety Month
• Haitian Heritage Month
• Jewish American Heritage Month
• Labor History Month
• Latino Books Month
• Lupus Awareness Month
• Mental Health Awareness Month
• Military Appreciation Month
• Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
• National Bicycle Safety Month
• National Foster Care Month
• National Get Caught Reading Month
• National Inventors Month
• National Pet Month
• National Preservation Month
• National Water Safety Month
• National Wildfire Awareness Month
• Older Americans Month
• Small Business Month
• Stroke Awareness Month
• Women’s Health Month

Weeks observed in May

• 1-7: Deaf Awareness Week
• 1-7: National Physical Education and Sport Week
• 4-5: National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend
• 5-11: Amphibian Week
• 5-11: Hurricane Preparedness Week
• 5-11: International Composting Awareness Week
• 5-11: National Correctional Officers Week
• 5-11: National Pet Week
• 5-11: North American Occupational Safety & Health Week
• 5-11: Public Service Recognition Week
• 6-10: Construction Safety Week
• 6-10: Teacher Appreciation Week
• 6-12: Canada Emergency Preparedness Week
• 6-12: Children’s Book Week
• 6-12: National Nurses Week
• 12-18: National Hospital Week
• 12-18: National Police Week
• 12-18: National Prevention Week
• 12-18: National Women’s Health Week
• 18-24: National Safe Boating Week
• 19-25: National Emergency Medical Services Week
• 19-25: Public Works Week

Days observed in May

• 1: School Principals’ Day
• 1: Silver Star Service Banner Day
• 2: National Day of Prayer
• 3: National Space Day
• 3: National Specially-Abled Pets Day
• 3: School Lunch Hero Day
• 3: World Press Freedom Day
• 4: International Firefighters’ Day
• 4: Kent State Shootings Remembrance
• 4: Kentucky Derby
• 4: National Fitness Day
• 4: Star Wars Day
• 4: Wildfire Community Preparedness Day
• 5: Cinco de Mayo
• 5: Museum Lover’s Day
• 5: World Hand Hygiene Day
• 6: Great Lakes Awareness Day
• 6: Holocaust Remembrance Day
• 6: May Day
• 6: National Nurses Day
• 7: National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day
• 7: National Fentanyl Awareness Day
• 7: National Foster Care Day
• 7: National Teacher Appreciation Day
• 8: National Receptionists Day
• 10: National Military Spouse Appreciation Day
• 10: National Public Gardens Day
• 10: National Small Business Day
• 11: World Migratory Bird Day
• 12: Mother’s Day
• 13: Children of Fallen Patriots Day
• 15: Buddha’s Birthday
• 15: National Senior Fraud Awareness Day
• 15: Peace Officers Memorial Day
• 16: Global Accessibility Awareness Day
• 16: National Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day
• 17: Endangered Species Day
• 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
• 17: Virtual Assistants Day
• 17: Walk Safely to School Day
• 18: International Museum Day
• 18: National Armed Forces Day
• 18: National Learn to Swim Day
• 18: National River Cleanup Day
• 19: Celebrate Your Elected Officials Day
• 19: National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
• 20: National Rescue Dog Day
• 20: National Women in Aerospace Day
• 20: World Bee Day
• 21: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
• 22: Emergency Medical Services for Children Day
• 22: International Day for Biological Diversity
• 23: World Turtle Day
• 24: National Scavenger Hunt Day
• 25: National Missing Children’s Day
• 27-28: Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh
• 27: Memorial Day
• 28: World Hunger Day
• 29: International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers
• 29: Mount Everest Day
• 29: World Otter Day
• 30: National E-Bike Day
• 31: National Heat Awareness Day
• 31: World Foster Day
• 31: World No Tobacco Day

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